Expand

When you become a parent your entire life changes drastically. No longer are things just about you. Instead, your life is now all about taking care of your little son or daughter. Being a parent is a lot of responsibility and at times, it can even get downright overwhelming, especially at first. The thing is, you can actually make things much, much easier on yourself if you have the right baby gear. Often you should have it in place before your baby even arrives. Seriously, having the right baby gear can mean the difference between things going smoothly or getting completely out of control. Trust us, we’re parents and we know. We’ve been there and understood how important it is to not get stressed out even in the most stressful of situations. Like, when you need to do household chores, but have a baby to feed.

Basically, through our parenting efforts, we discovered that it’s important to have baby gear in place and, there are actually quite a few options on the market. To help you figure out what’s, what’s. Keep reading.

The Most Commonly Used Baby Gear Must-Haves

Okay, as we said, there is a lot of baby gear on the market from jumpers to rockers, strollers, playpens and more. Each serves a different purpose and most of them are really “must-haves” to put in place before you bring your baby home. Reason being, you don’t know what your baby is going to like and not like, so, if you don’t have them all, then you could be out of luck trying to soothe him or her.

Essentially, you don’t want to run out of options. For that reason, we’ve come up with a list of the most common baby gear “must-haves” to help you prepare. Here they are, in no particular order:

Baby Swings

The baby swing is probably the oldest, most traditional baby gear option that’s available. In this instance, old is not a bad thing because the reason baby swings have been around so long is due to the fact that they’re a tried and true method for soothing and calming babies. Particularly when you need your little one to sleep and nothing else quite seems to work. Well, except your hands, of course.

As the name suggests, this selection holds and swings your baby. A typical swing will have a seat type area that is on an angle where your baby can sit or lay, depending upon their age. This seating area will feature plenty of soft paddings to keep your little one comfortable along with some sort of belt or harness to ensure he or she doesn’t fall out when he or she is in it. Some baby swings will also have seating areas with removable headrests, neck rests, and smaller pillows to help support your child’s head and neck.

There is actually a wide variety of baby swings to choose from. Sure, you might be thinking, how is this possible? A swing is a swing, right? Well, unfortunately, that’s where you’re wrong. For example, you can get one that has a swinging motion much like one that you would find at an area playground, which will swing your child using the same motion, yet at a much, much slower pace. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the type of swing you can get since if a swing, that goes head to toe, isn’t what you’re looking for, no problem. You see, you can also get one that will sway your baby from side to side, much like how you would rock your baby back and forth in your arms. Therefore, if you need a little break to make your child a bottle or to help him or she goes to sleep, you can place your baby in the swing without him or her knowing that anything changed.

In addition to multiple swinging motions, there are other features a baby swing can have as well such as variable swinging speeds or they come in different sizes like those that stand only a couple of inches off the floor while others can stand a few feet off the floor. Plus, you can get ones that run on batteries or others that use an AC adapter and there are some that are designed to stay in one place while others can fold up and are portable.

The Benefits of Baby Swings

There are a lot of benefits when using baby swings, including:

Providing your baby with a safe place to lay and rest other than a crib.

Offering you a break from holding your baby.

Keeping your baby calm and occupied.

Consoling and soothing your child if they’re having trouble sleeping.

Top 5 Baby Swings Brands

With all baby gear, brand names do matter and some swings are better than others. The top five that we’ve discovered consist of:

Fischer-Price – This is a brand that has been around for some time and the swings they make get high reviews.

Graco – Although Graco hasn’t been around as long as Fischer Price, it’s become a trusted brand among parents.

Evenflo – Turning into one of the top baby brands, making high-quality products.

Tiny Love – Another newer brand that is starting to establish itself as being reliable.

Bright Starts – One of the brands that offer more affordable baby gear.

In order to choose the best baby swing for you and your child, here are some things to consider before purchasing one.

How often are you going to use it? If you’re going to use the baby swing often, then it would be a good idea to purchase a more expensive, higher-end option to withstand the repeated use.

How much room do you have for it? The size of baby swing you get should be determined by the space you’re going to put it in.

How much money do you want to spend? Having a budget in mind is always a good idea.

What reviews, opinions, and information are available on what you’re buying? In short, just be smart about what you’re buying and really research all the options that are available. Compare and contrast them all to really make an informed decision on the one that you ultimately get.

Baby Bouncers (Rockers)

The baby bouncer, also known as a baby rocker, is another “must-have” and it’s very similar to the baby swing in terms of its set-up and functionality because it’s designed to keep your baby calm and happy. However, what makes it different from the swing is that a bouncer, you guessed it, actually gently bounces your child up and down at a slow pace instead of swinging him or her back and forth.

Baby bouncers sit lower on the floor than baby swings do and have a seating area that is angled a bit flatter, providing your baby with a nice place to lay and recline. That seating area still features very plush padding along with a harness to keep your little one in place while he or she is in it. The most basic of baby bouncers rely on the baby itself to provide the bouncing movement, yet, over the years, there have been many advancements made to this basic design, resulting in a lot of baby rocker options to pick from.

One of those options is a baby bouncer that is powered, typically by batteries, and bounces on its own with variable bouncing speeds. There are others that feature calming vibrations, some that play music and other peaceful sounds, and those that come with overhead mobiles that provide your son or daughter with something to look at and play with when he or she is awake. Plus, you can also get rockers that come with all of the above features such as one that vibrates and bounces while also having the ability to play music. Or, you could also get one that has an overhead mobile with musical sounds and vibrations.

The Benefits of Baby Bouncers

The benefits of using a baby bouncer are many. A few includes:

How it provides a safe alternative for your baby to sleep other than his or her crib.

The bouncer teaches your child how to self-soothe.

It can also keep your child occupied with its music and mobile when you need to get something done.

Like with the baby swings, the top-selling baby bouncer brands consist of Fischer-Price, Graco, Evenflo, Tiny Love, and Bright Stars. Each makes a quality bouncer and to find the right one for your child’s needs, just heed the advice mentioned above about finding the right baby swing. If you really look at all the information and compare what’s out there, you should make a good decision on buying the right one.

Baby Jumpers

Baby swings and bouncers are usually the go-to baby gear choice of parents when they’re children are first born, but then when your little one starts to get older, you will switch to baby jumpers. Why is this the case? Well, it’s because your child will start to get more active, mobile, and will want more stimulation, which is exactly what baby jumpers provide.

Unlike baby swings and rockers, baby jumpers aren’t designed to soothe or keep them calm. Nope, they’re designed to get your baby moving and having a good time. One will come equipped with a seat where your child can sit, and eventually stand, and that seat will be supported by some sort of suspension system, which will let your child stand, walk in place, dance, and jump around.

With baby jumpers, also known as Jumperoo, there are all kinds to choose from starting with those that can be hanged from the middle of a doorway or ceiling. These are the most affordable out of the bunch and a usually adjustable to fit the height of your child.

Another option is standing along jumpers that actually support themselves. You place your child in the middle of the jumper and basically, just let them go to town. Like the wall hanging jumpers, the stand-alone options are adjustable to fit your child’s height and what makes them an even better buy are all the options that they come with. For instance, some stand-alone bouncers actually come with a lower foot area that will keep your child’s feet off the floor. There are others that have toys adorned throughout them and some come with music, lights, and overhead canopies.

The Benefits of Baby Jumpers

There are many benefits that come with giving your child a baby jumper to use. They consist of:

Getting your child active.

Helping your little one develop their motor skills.

Providing your kiddo with a fun way to pass the time.

Giving yourself a safe place to put your child if you need to do a quick household chore.

As with the baby swings and bouncers, the top-selling brands for baby jumpers are the same ones with a few additions. They are Fischer-Price, Graco, Evenflo, Tiny Love, Bright Stars, Baby Einstein, and Little Tikes. Also just like with the baby swings and rockers, to get the best possible one for your child, make sure to really review all of the information that is available in relation to the product that you’re looking for. Whether it’s reading product descriptions, checking out reviews, or just asking other people’s opinions, you want to make sure that you thoroughly research the baby jumper that you want to buy to get a quality one for your child.

Baby Highchairs

One of the final “must-have” items that every new parent should get before their baby arrives is a baby highchair. Sure, you’re not going to need this piece of baby gear right away since you’ll be bottle or breastfeeding your baby, but, you’ll eventually need one to feed your kid when he or she transitions to eating solid food.

As you might have already guessed, a baby highchair is a baby gear selection that provides your child with a place to sit while eating. Unlike regular dining table chairs, high chairs are scaled down to match the small size of a child and usually feature a smaller seat with a back, a harness, large tray table like serving area (that may or may not be removable), and a footrest.

The nice thing about baby highchairs is how there are an assortment of styles available, something that lets you find just the right one to match your needs. For example, there are traditional stand alone options that feature the chair itself, which is then supported by four legs much like a regular dining table chair. Or, if you’re short on space, you can get one that is made to be installed right on a regular dining table chair, so, you don’t have to use any extra space in your kitchen for it. In addition, there are those that are convertible and can be used both as a stand alone chair or can convert to be placed on a dining table chair, some that actually attach to the table itself, and those that can even be placed right on top of a table if you like.

The Benefits of Baby Highchairs

The benefits of using a baby highchair include:

Offering your son or daughter a safe place to eat.

Providing your child with a regular, consistent place to eat, which helps builds good eating habits for your little one.

Helping to contain mealtime messes given that most have a large serving area.

Allows you to eat with the rest of the family at the table since you can bring the high chair right next to it.

Provides a convenient place to feed your child when not at home if you get one that’s portable and easy to carry.

Again, just like with the other baby gear options, the top selling baby high chair brands consist of Fischer-Price, Graco, Evenflo, Tiny Love, Bright Stars, Baby Einstein, and Little Tykes. Also, when looking into purchasing one, the thing to do is look around and research the different selections. By doing this, you should be able to discover the pro’s and con’s of each in order to make an informed decision on buying one that’s of high quality. And EvaBabyGear is here to help you.

Conclusion

All in all, if you want to be completely prepared when your baby comes home from the hospital, make sure you purchase at least a few of the “must-have” items above. They’ll definitely make taking care of your new addition much, much easier, especially at first when you’re trying to come up with a routine for you and your little one. However, before you make any kind of purchase, make sure you do some research on all of the baby gear options. Read reviews, see what other parents have to say, and get as much information as you can to make certain you buy the best possible products for your child. Remember, children are precious and as a parent, you’re going to want to do everything to protect them and keep them in safety and comfort.

EvaBabyGear.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com.